Humanity’s meat consumption is constantly increasing. In 2021, 360 billion kilograms of meat were consumed worldwide. This means a doubling since 1990. On average, 900,000 cattle, 3.8 million pigs and 200 million chickens are slaughtered every day, according to figures from the organization ‘Our World in Data’ (OWID). There are also sheep, goats, fish and other animals.
In Europe, meat consumption per capita has been stagnant since the 1990s, with a slightly downward trend; recently almost 80 kg per person per year was recorded. But that’s still twice as much as the global average. In Asia, only more than 30 kg of meat is served on the table per person, while in Africa it is just over 15 kg. In North America (100 kg) and recently, after a rapid increase in recent decades, also in South America (most recently 82 kg), more meat is consumed per person than in the EU. Although the figures reflect the amount of meat available before waste in households, actual consumption is therefore slightly lower, OWID notes.
Area of North and South America for meat and dairy production
In addition to ethical questions about livestock farming, the high and increasing meat consumption also raises concrete ecological questions. Worldwide, 37 million square kilometers are used for meat and milk production, which corresponds to the entire area of North and South America combined, according to ‘Our World in Data’. If humanity were to switch to a purely plant-based diet, land use for agriculture would decrease by 75 percent. Avoiding beef and cow’s milk products would have the greatest effect.
Such a move would also have a huge impact on the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. A quarter of all emissions come from the production of food for humanity and about a third of this comes from the production of animal food, which accounts for about eight percent of global greenhouse gases, according to Our World in Data, citing an analysis of Joseph Poore. and Thomas Nemecek from 2018.
Meat consumption in Austria fell from more than 100 kg to 77.8 kg
For Austria, the 2021 statistics show a per capita meat consumption of 77.8 kg. In the 1990s this was still more than 100 kg.
Source: Krone
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
